Tampa Bay Buccaneers Free Agents: What Will It Take to Keep Key Bucs?

The 2014 season is finally in the books for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it's hard to blame their fans for feeling a sense of relief.

After undergoing a massive overhaul from the general manager and coaching staff all the way through the roster, the Bucs were a popular dark-horse pick to make a quick turnaround and contend for an NFC wild-card spot.

But not only did they not live up to those high expectations in their first year under Lovie Smith, they managed to finish with an even worse record than their 4-12 effort in 2013, going just 2-14 and landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

As Tampa Bay looks toward the offseason, one of the first tasks on the docket will be re-signing their in-house free agents who are set to hit the market.  The team's lack of depth was painfully obvious over the season, as evidenced by the fact the Bucs don't have any big-name players to try and retain this offseason.  In fact, some of the better ones are restricted free agents, making it more likely the team will be able to hang onto them without breaking the bank.

So, what players already on the roster should be top priority for the Bucs to bring back in 2015?  Let's take a look.

*All contract details courtesy of Spotrac.com

TE/FB Luke Stocker

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Heading into the 2014 season, many thought Stocker would be lucky to make it out of training camp, considering the team had just signed veteran Brandon Myers in free agency and had spent a high second-round pick on Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

But the surprising trade of Tim Wright just before the start of the regular season basically sealed a roster spot for Stocker, and his value became even greater when fullback Jorvorskie Lane went down with a broken leg.  Stocker stepped in and filled the void left behind by Lane, sliding into the backfield and proving to be an effective lead blocker in the run game. 

Stocker's biggest issue continues to be his durability, as he missed three games this year after being banged up for much of his NFL career.

Considering his penchant for missing time due to injury and the fact that he isn't much of a downfield threat as a receiver, it's hard to see Tampa Bay having to fight anyone off to keep Stocker this offseason.  Still, he proved he has value as a lead blocker, and the new regime liked him enough to get rid of a promising young player in Wright.

He's finished out his rookie deal, which paid him just over $2.5 million over four years, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucs were able to keep him for around the same amount, should they wish to re-sign him.

RB Bobby Rainey

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After stepping up and leading the Bucs in rushing in 2013—filling in for an injured Doug Martin—Rainey had a rather strange 2014 season in Tampa Bay.

The former waiver-wire pickup led the Bucs in average yards per carry with 4.3, but despite being the most effective back for most of the season, Rainey found himself relegated almost exclusively to return duties down the stretch.  For the season, Rainey still managed to finish with respectable numbers as both a runner and receiver, tallying 721 total yards on 127 touches, in addition to handling both punts and kickoffs.

It's unclear why Rainey didn't get much action in the backfield over the last quarter of the season, but Jason Licht has proven he loves depth at running back by drafting Charles Sims so high last year despite an already deep backfield, so I expect the Bucs to try to retain Rainey this offseason.

Rainey is a restricted free agent, which means the Bucs would have the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signs with any other team.  I would expect Tampa Bay to tender him at the mid-round pick level, putting them in a win-win situation should he sign elsewhere, giving the team an extra draft pick to play with.

DL Da'Quan Bowers

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Tampa Bay fans have been waiting for Bowers to emerge as the "steal" it'd hoped he'd be, after the Clemson product fell to the Bucs in the middle of the second round of the 2011 draft.

Once considered the likely top pick in that draft, a knee injury sent him tumbling down the draft board, with the Bucs snatching him up and hoping he'd be able to recapture the explosiveness that made him one of the nation's most feared pass-rushers.

Bowers has yet to live up to those rose-colored expectations, struggling to stay healthy for his entire career.  However, he may have found his best role with the Bucs this season, sliding inside to defensive tackle.  Bowers isn't quick enough to beat NFL tackles on the edge, but he's a better matchup against slower interior linemen, also proving this year that he can provide stout run support. 

Bowers has wrapped up his rookie deal that paid him just shy of $1 million per year for four years.  With his injury history, I don't see many NFL teams offering him much more than that, so it shouldn't be difficult for the Bucs to retain his services.  It would also be in Bowers' best interest to continue carving out his role with Tampa Bay on the inside.

LB Danny Lansanah

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Flashing his abilities early as a training camp standout, Lansanah delivered in the regular season, proving to be one of the most valuable and reliable performers for the Bucs on defense in 2014.

Lansanah made 11 starts and showed his versatility, becoming the first player in franchise history to start a game at each linebacker position in the same season.  The Connecticut product finished tied for second on the team with 81 tackles, and second in interceptions with three—two of which he returned for touchdowns, adding 1.5 sacks and eight pass deflections.

The odd thing about Lansanah is that while he's only finishing his third season, he's already 29 years old, having spent his first NFL season with the Green Bay Packers back in 2008.  He's still a restricted free agent based on his three accrued seasons in the league, however, which will allow the Bucs to match any potential offer sheet he would sign with another team this offseason.

With all the injuries and depth issues the Bucs experienced at linebacker this season, Lansanah proved to be incredibly valuable.  Despite his age, I expect Tampa Bay to put a respectable tender on him to make sure it retains his services for the foreseeable future.

S Bradley McDougald

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One of the brightest spots for Tampa Bay this season was the emergence of McDougald, who stepped in for an injured Major Wright and gave the Bucs the best play they had from any safety all year long.

In just his second season out of Kansas, McDougald appeared in 15 games for the Bucs this year, making five starts and showing why every NFL team likely made a mistake by allowing him to go undrafted in 2013.  McDougald tallied 50 tackles, seven pass deflections and an interception this year, proving to be just as comfortable in coverage as he is in run support.

Fortunately for the Bucs, McDougald is an exclusive-rights free agent, meaning he has to either accept whatever contract Tampa Bay offers him or leave the NFL.  I'm betting McDougald will stick around, but it might behoove the Bucs to offer him a more long-term deal. 

He's just 24, already looks very confident and comfortable in the Tampa 2 and looks like a wise investment for a defense that showed much improvement over the second half of the season.